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Operation: Elbaf
Operation: Elbaf A pleasant breeze riffled through the long, tusked mane of the enormous Kaldor, who, seated as he were, still stuck out plainly in comparison to the other marines aboard the ship due to his massive size. With his back resting against one of the ship's masts, he let out a small sigh, brown eyes focused on the skies above. There was much joy to be had in the works of a marine, that was without question. But as of late, the Vice-Admiral couldn't help but feel as though something were lacking. He felt incomplete, simply put, but no matter the amount of thought he projected, he simply couldn't bring himself to understand what it was that he was missing oh-so badly. And that was when it hit him on the head. Literally. Scratching the top of his head, Kaldor looked up at the fleeing who had dropped a newspaper on his head. A look of frustration overtook his face. What was he supposed to do with this? It was far too small for his hands to trifle with; and even more so, he wasn't the most educated of lads about: reading just wasn't one of his strong suits, and that he blamed more times than not on . But what he saw coming next, as he carefully plucked the paper between two fingers, was a whole swarm of News Coo, perhaps ten, twenty, nay, definitely thirty or more, all carrying a single package. A package in the form of an envelope; one that was so large, that it brought over a large shadow over a good portion of the ship. The other marines looked about in terror as the News Coo dropped the envelope down on their ship, many even began to shout and curse them as they tiredly flew away, visually exhausted after having carried the envelope all this way, yet it was Kaldor and Kaldor only who had any idea as to what the envelope entailed. There was little doubting its contents: it was a giant envelope meant for a giant man. With a smile upon his rugged face, he caught the large card and almost immediately cut it open, tossing the smock of paper into the waters of the New World. What he held in his hands moments later was a ridiculously large card, one that was very intricately decorated, and one that bore the name of Kaldor's family. Inscribed within was a language decipherable by even the most slowest of lads; any well educated human would have thought it no better than the essay of a young schoolboy with the amount of grammar mistakes it contained, yet for Kaldor it was the most beautiful poem in the world. Hardly able to contain his excitement, he yelled out into the open, "Hoy!!" He flailed his arms about and twirled his hips, causing the ship itself to wobble under his sheer weight. "Hoy!!" he said again, this time louder and with tears rolling down his cheeks. "It's about damn time, ya mug! It's about damn time!" Wiping his face with his arm, he blew his nose into the card and looked around for a single man. A man who he respected the most after his own father in this world. "Terell-kun, Terell-kun, I've somethin' to ask you!" Admiral Fuyuki stood upon the forecastle deck, his gaze directed at the far horizon. He'd been at sea for many weeks at this point, yet there was a certain serenity to the ocean that calmed him and temporarily relieved him of the many worries that plagued him due to his status as an Admiral. The death of Admiral Kairo still weighed heavily on his mind, but his many responsibilities as an Admiral had prevented him from going after Veno just yet. Since they'd set out, they'd captured and taken many pirates into custody, Terell considered it his duty to get to them before some of his colleagues did, many of which believed in the concept of Absolute Justice; and would defile the idea of Justice in ways that Terell and his subordinates would not. Whatever their deeds, whatever their actions, pirates were still people; men and women who'd made mistakes or choices at the expense of others, true, but people all the same. Justice was a unified ideal, it wasn't something reserved solely for those who bowed to the World Government. The Admiral's tranquility was broken by the eager voice of Vice-Admiral Kaldor, a giant who he was proud to consider one of the most stalvart defenders of True Justice he'd had the pleasure of meeting. He sighed inwardly at the mention of "Terell-kun", like with most of his subordinates he'd attempted to correct his lack of honorfics before but it always went ignored. He turned around and looked at the giant, a small smile playing on his lips. "Yes, Vice Admiral Kaldor?". "Terell-kun!" Kaldor shouted again, before rummaging forth a squirm of squeals in his attempt to gather his thoughts. Taking a moment to breathe, he finally found himself able enough to speak. "My cousin is getting married!" Tears the size of boulders crashed down unto the ship's deck. "That damn lard! He'd refused so many suitors up until now... he had so many of us worried! "But nay! Elbaf will be in good hands, I'm sure of it! You can leave it to Barbarossa-san to find himself a proper wife! Dordordordor!" More tears ensued. With the way the giant was explaining things, the world itself hoped that Admiral Fuyuki would have been able to recall Kaldor's stress over the last few years; his cousin, the Emperor of Elbaf, had refused to marry countless times. Now according to the card, which was an invitation to the royal wedding, he had found his love at long last. "You'll come with me, won't you, Terell-kun? Oh please! My cousin writes that he'd be more than willing to accommodate me and my closest associates; Elbaf's royal castle is a sight to behold, I swear of it. It's so very large that a man like you will easily be lost within it, dordordor!" Kaldor sniffed hard. Lost in thought, his eyes trailed to the skies. "Yes, I'd hope Dario-san would be willing to join us too! And the rest of you lot as well!" He looked to the other marines and scooped them up in his arms, hugging them tightly out of sheer happiness alone. "Yes, yes, yes! You all must come! You all must come to my cousin's wedding!" The Giants were among the strongest people in the world, and though this was a joyous occasion for those involved it was also a good opportunity to approach the rulers of Elbaf for cooperation with the Marines. Terell had suspicions that he wasn't the only one who thought along these lines, and he expected to run into the Yonko while there, whether the pirates themselves or their envoys. Terell looked up at Vice-Admiral Kaldor, the giant towered far above him and to some it would've been a strange sight to see a man that large as the subordinate of Admiral Fuyuki, who barely reached his ancles. "I gratefully accept the invitation, Kaldor. We'll set sail for Elbaf immediately." He respond with a smile before he turned towards the rest of the marines on his ship. "I hope you've got good manners for it seems like we'll be attending a wedding. However, while this is a great chance to improve relations with the giants and pay our respects to the future rulers of Elbaf, be aware of this.Hostile forces will almost certainly be present, and I would be surprised to find members of the Yonko absent. An Alliance with the giants could upset the balance of power, and it is imperative that we do our best to represent the best the marines have to offer." Admiral Fuyuki put his arms behind his back as he continued to speak to his subordinates, informing them of their destination and laying a few ground rules for their visit to Elbaf. "We are not savages, brave men and women of the marines, and as such we will not engage combat with any pirates while in Elbaf. We do this because our greatest duty is to represent the best aspects of Justice, respect, understanding and compassion. It would reflect exceedingly poorly on the Marines as a force if we disrupted the wedding with cannonfire and battles, so do not engage whatever enemies might be present for the duration of our stay in Elbaf except in self-defense." The Yonko? A look of distaste overtook Kaldor's face. The thought of having such infamous pirates parading on his home island while his cousin was to be wed was not a good one. But it wasn't exactly something he could control. Famed as the "Pirate Smasher" for the brute manner in which he utilized his behemoth limbs to smash pirate skulls into the ground, it wasn't exactly a secret that Kaldor despised them. Even so, at the request of not only the Admiral, but the greater good, he too would have to suppress his call for duty in the likelihood he came upon a pirate whilst on Elbaf. "Hoy, of course, Terell-kun. I won't lay a single finger on any stinkin' pirate while we're there. You have my word!" Kaldor smiled wide. They were really going; they were really going back home to Elbaf! Oh how long it'd been since he'd last seen them. Mother, father, all of his brothers and sisters, and of course, the groom himself! He was really going to be able to see them again after all these years. The thought itself was invigorating. "Elbaf, everyone, I'm comin' home!!" --- The night prevailed over the town of Tashoya, indicting an omen of utter chaos. For the pirates of Nassau, there was no better time and place to party. Chants and moans filled the skies. The smell of liquor, tobacco, and semen lingered all about. Between a crowd of pirates, one such man raised a bottle of Brandy high above his head and hollered out to them, "to a free world!" as he popped the cork and allowed its contents to ooze down the length of his arm. The popping of the bottle was followed by a series of gun shots aimed harmlessly toward the moon. Chants broke out yet again and the pirate who had popped the bottle was lifted up by the crowd and carried about like a hero. Dressed and tailored into a long, red coat with a pointed dark cap resting above the top of his head, he rode the crowd around the town, his lips fastened around the bottle's opening. In attendance, Benjamin raised his bottle of liquor in agreement. "To a free world, haha!" He cheered, pulling the woman glued to his arm into a full embrace. "The drinks boys, everything is on me!!" He drunkenly spoke, gulping down another bit of his liquor. Benjamin had been fortunate enough to purchase just a little bit of the from a merchant on the square; a wooden spoon of treasure tree adam's wood. Most pirates would have never spent their fortune on such a dumb item, which is why the merchant had provided a slight discount to its purchase. Though, Benjamin was no average pirate. His devil fruit, the Mosa Mosa No Mi, would allow him to churn a fortune from it. He would learn about it, use it to grow some more, and sell that off. In no time, he would be the richest merchant on the island, and perhaps he would garner the attention of Public Enemy Veno himself. Benjamin volunteering to pay for all their liquor was either the stupidest decision of his life --under the regard that he had no idea just how much these pirates were truly capable of drinking-- or a cheeky way of declaring his wealth. Either way, the pirate from earlier found himself taking a liking to the other lad. Dismounting himself up and off the crowd, he chugged more Brandy down his throat on his way toward Benjamin. "Ahoy," he chimed, emitting a drunken burp, "what be yer name, rich boy?" "B-Benjamin," he responded, turning to face the man who approached him, "Benjamin Tabbart it be. But excuse me a moment." He gulped down the remnants of his drink and handed it to the woman next to him. "Um...get me another drink. Something strong," he asked, sending her own his way. He turned back to Barney. "Anway, who are," a hiccupped interrupted his sentence, "y-you?" With widened eyes, the pirate introduced himself. "Barney Kettle, pleased to make yer aqua-tinshhhh." There was a noticeable wobble to his walk; how he managed to keep himself from falling was a wonder. "And what might it be that yer drinkin' to tonight, my dear Benjamin?" Widened eyes carefully studied Benjamin's figure, watching most especially along his hips, looking for any indication of coins bouncing around in those trouser pockets. “I just finished some of this…er, um,” he looked around for the bottle, forgetting that he had handed it off to his company, “dammit, it was some er, um rum! Rum! That’s what it was, yeah.” His legs shook, and his body swayed side to side. His eyes were droopy, his vision blurred, his senses dull. Though, Benjamin was no idiot. He didn’t carry his treasure with him. Well, the gold in his pocket that he would use to pay for the drinks were present, but not his spoon. He made sure to keep that away, “What, um…what the you sippin on?” They were then interrupted by a bit of commotion going on near by with a man talking to a by stander. "Looks man i told ya already i don't know where the nearest bar if im just as lost as you are." The bystander said getting angry over the mans persistence. The man stood there in silence for a moment. "UGH! your no help to me." the man complained and smashed the bystanders head at the nearest wall, busting a hole through it. "Damn it for a 'Pirates Paradise' you'd think a nice bar wouldn't be so hard to find." He said stomping around with his hands in his pockets. Behind him were two people, a much taller, and muscular man and a young Beautiful Women, who many of the men became infatuated with whenever she walks by. "We don't have time for drinking anyways Jones, we're on a scheduled." The taller man said. "Shut the hell up Cazzar! We did what the old man asked, we burnt that down that whatchamacalled marine island down to the ground already. Its time for some r-n-r." Jones said resting his arms behind his head. The women walked quietly, almost seemed annoyed by the two boys bickering. Looking away from Benjamin for a moment, Kettle couldn't help but be mesmerized by the beauty of the young woman. Kettle's eyes saw only her, completely ignoring the other two that accompanied her. And as she walked ahead of the two, visually upset, it was Kettle who greeted her next. Removing his hat and planting a single knee to the ground, Kettle bowed with a gleeful smile playing along his lips. "Yer guilty of being a hot wench," he chimed to the woman, "I sentence ye to walking me plank!" The women looked down at the kneeling Kettle with a grin on her face. "My, what a gentlemen." She said softly, amused by his actions. "I-I don't know, Kettle." Benjamin stepped forward towards the woman, obviously analyzing her physique. "She's like, er, maybe a two or something. I've seen hotter in those brothels over there you know." Aroused by what seemed to him a compliment, Kettle rose up to his feet and offered his arm to the woman. "Yoho! Then how's about it? Wanna come back to my home port and see my dock?" A loud smack was heard from Benjamin and Catrina was seen glaring at him with her fist steaming for her hit. "Well isnt that nice!" She said happily. "You see boys this is how a lady should be treated." She called out to her comrades. "Oh please why would a girl need to be treated like that?" Cazzar mumbled loud enough for everyone to hear. A loud smack was heard from Cazzar as well as he was then seen squating down carrying for a large bruis on his head with an acking face from the pain. The women had an wicked face with more stream coming from her fist again. Benjamin felt the sting of Catrina's slap, pulling him from his drunken calm to into a sea of drunken rage. "What the fuck," he started, sending his backhand soaring towards Catrina's face while she was distracted by her own teammate. "Bitches need to remember their fucking place!" "This dude has a death wish." Jones says with sweat drops leaking down his face. Catrina was smacked in the face unexpectedly causing her to tremble with anger and turned towards Benjamin with a vicious glare. She is then seen walking away angrily with Benjamin's upper body smashed into the ground with only his legs being shown. "Men are animal!" She shouted frustrated. "Eh?" Kettle's normally widened eyes narrowed peculiarly. What had he just witnessed? Another woman with an attitude? His blood began to boil. She had reminded him of his wife... back when she was still alive. Back before he had "accidentally" taken her life. Through his anger of seeing the strange predicament that had unfolded before him, Kettle curled his hand into a fist. He wasn't so much angry at the fact that Benjamin had been ridiculed as much as he was at the thought that a woman had shown herself to be superior to a member of the male species. Like what in the actual fuck? Just what did this bitch think she was playing at? As Catrina continued to walk away, she would find that her movements had become slower than usual; it was as if the world itself had begun to cave in around her being! Alas, befitting the gravitational powers bestowed upon him by his Devil Fruit, Kettle orchestrated a large sum of pressure down toward Catrina from where he currently stood, with nothing more than the motions of his single hand. She would feel her body be crushed beneath the magnitude of such vigorous might that it would have made what she had just done to Benjamin look like nothing special in comparison. "Ye good for nothin' whore! How dare ye speak against another man!" Having been crushed by the sudden intense pressure pushing down on her, she collapsed to the ground immediately and she fell she instantly spat out blood from her mouth. "AGHHHHH!" She tried to pull herself from the intense force but found herself struggling to even move herself up an inch. "Gr-Gravitational power?" She thought to herself. This sudden transaction got the attention of her two comrades, causing Cazzar to quickly stand up and face Kettle and prepare himself to face him, while Jones just looks towards the fallen Catrina and doesn't move from his current spot. "It seems everyone's being rather... troublesome here..." A voice suddenly spoke, seemingly coming from above. Should anyone look up, they would both see a man clad in white and black, as he seemingly lied down on air itself. A white parachute was visibly connected to his person and above both, there was a large dirigible flying off in the air. At the sound of a most intriguing voice, Kettle looked up and what he saw surprised him. What exactly it was and how it managed to do what it was doing was beyond him, but he had grown accustomed to seeing all sorts of bizarre things ever since he had stepped foot into the Grand Line. Still, there was an especially potent aura radiating around this guy; just who in the hell was he? "Eh? Why don't ye come on down from there and join the fun, pisspot?" Kettle spat, his eyes and grin widening further. It was then that one of his underlings came running from behind him, alerting him of the dangers of the levitating man. "Nay, captain! That's Qasarhog Yanbaal up there, a member of the Shichibukai! His former bounty is even higher than your current bounty of 200,000,000!" he cried, warning his captain against challenging the man above to a battle. Kettle looked back upon his subordinate in disbelief. "Ehhh?" Kettle glanced toward the flying Shichibukai once more, as if he hadn't seen him clearly the first time. "Shichibukai?!" Both Jones and Cazzar look up as well, following after kettle. "A warlord hu? Should make things interesting." Jones said with sinister grin. "So thats him hu?" Cazzar said hardly surprised to see him but more interested that he got to see him at all. Catrina who was fighting the intense gravity could also hear what was going on as her eyes widened in surprise. "Q-Qasarhog Yanbaal? W-What in the world is he, ugh, doing here?"She thought to herself trying to fight through the pain of the gravity. "Forget it." The gravitational pressure above Catrina returned to normal. "Ya couldn't pay me enough to mess around with one of them." Kettle turned around and gestured toward the rest of his crewmates to follow in his lead. Yanbaal had a truly infamous reputation of collecting pirates and turning them over to the World Government as apart of his duty. Kettle wasn't interested in potentially being the next guy to make that list. With his men behind him, Kettle retreated into a nearby bar, exactly what the Fire Rocker Pirates had been searching for upon their arrival into Tashoya. With his force of gravity lifted Catrina managed to get up to her knees, coughing from this experience. "Grr one day i'll kill that bastard, but for now..." She stopped herself looking up at the levitating warlord. "Hmmmmmmmm?" Yan looks as the little group of pirates sets off to a nearby residence. Still with a poker face, he scratches the side of his head lightly, as if to wonder what had just happened. Yan sighs and shrugs, landing on the ground soon as the parachute seemingly disappeared into thin air, he looked at those who were still there. "Could this be the infamous "Pirate Island"...known as Nassau?" He smiled, showing off his pretty white teeth, all the while crossing his arms and walking towards them. Yan stopped abruptly "I do hope I came to the right place!" With his men in tow, Kettle stormed into the tavern, making a large ruckus per usual. He marched up to the bar counter and eyed the barkeep with an aloof expression, the wooden floorboards creaking under his filthy boot. "Gimmie a bottle of yer good stuff!" With all the commotion happening around the bar, a sheet layed on top of one of the table booths in the bar begins to suddenly move as a child then took the blanket off and lifted himself up to look at what was going on. The child had black, messy hair with ragged clothes. Many would think he's a homeless child who's living in the streets for years. He looks over at kettle with his eyes half open as if he's barely able to keep himself away. "uh. hu? Whats all the noise out there?" He said in a dull, mumbling tone as he rubbed his eyes to try to see straight and looked back at kettle but that appeared to have done nothing at all. Meanwhile outside the bar Cazzar stood there glaring at Yanbaal with a ready position, preparing himself for anything he might do. "What are you doing here." He said with a harsh tone. Jones didn't say or do anything just yet and just stood there with a sinister grin on his face. Yan looks down at the similarly large man "Ooh, I recognize your face...Cazzar, the Titan, right? Hmhmhmhm" He then looks around the place, seeing the many buildings and pirates around "As for why I'm here...it's none of your business. Though, do me a favor and don't assume things from the get-go, okay?" He looks fiercely at the man, yet, while having a smile on his face. Inside the tavern, Kettle kissed the cork of a brand new liquor bottle. It was clear to everyone there by now that he planned to drink himself into a coma. Resting with his back against the bar counter, he rose the bottle above his head, continuing his chants from earlier before. "To a free world! Bahahahaha!" With all the commotion going on the child manages to get off the table booth, hoping to find a quieter place to sleep while carrying his blanket with him and wears it like a robe with a hood over his head and walks over to the middle of the bar. He looks over at Kettle with his eyes still blurry from his sleep and tries to focus on him due to the blurry spot he see manages to catch his interest for some reason. "uhh hu? Who is that? He sorta looks.......familiar." He thinks in his head as he walked closer to him with his tired looking face remaining. His vision starts to get clear enough that he can make out what he's looking at "Uh." Recognizing what he sees his eyes widened with a surprising shock to his face. "HU? AHHHHHHH ITS KETTLE!" He shouted loudly as he tried to back away but then stumbled over his feet and collapsed onto a bar table his crew mates were sitting at and managed to knock it over, causing their mugs to fall to the ground spilling their booze. At the mention of his name, Kettle turns --bottle to his mouth-- to acknowledge his admirer. Yet what he saw transpire before him was the quite opposite of that; by the look of things, a scrawny little boy had toppled over the table of some pirates. "Bahahaha! What in tarnation?" Walking on over to the distressed boy, ignoring the other pirates that were seated around him, Kettle stomped his boot to a resting position atop the fallen table. "What is it little squiddle? Do I know ye from somewhere?" Colby looks up from the towering kettle standing over his collapsed body. He looked on in fear, unable to utter a single word. "Uh uhhh uh." He began shivering a bit and his eyes began shaking reflecting on the fearsome Kettle standing before him. Kettle studied the boy's expression. That look of fear in his eyes, Kettle had seen it far too many times in the past to keep count. But moreover, he knew that he had seen those exact eyes some place before, but where? ...Of course! It was seven years ago. Seven years ago on an island somewhere in the West Blue whose name he really couldn't give two shits about remembering now. Back then those eyes were filled with tears, and only tears for as long as he had kept them. Seven years ago... "Pirates! It's the Black Hand Pirates!" A voice exclaimed as canon fire broke out from the horizon. Balls of mass destruction crashed against homes, tearing them to shreds. A single ship responsible for all the chaos docked along the banks of the island, and all in one motion, a swarm of pirates stormed into the town. "Find anythin' of use and bring 'er back to me," Kettle barked, "I'll split a bottle of rum with the one who brings back the best plunder!" His men roaring behind him, "Black Hand" Kettle paraded into the town. En route his march into town, he utilized the powers of his Devil Fruit to crush several buildings under the sheer pressure of gravity. Even upon raiding the town for an hour, still did he not find anything he deemed remotely satisfactory. "What the fawk is with this place, eh? Ain't there anythin' worth takin' from this dump?!" In the rubble of all the collapsed homes, he found a man with his leg caught beneath a boulder attempting to free himself in order to escape together with his family. His wife and son simply refused to leave him behind, no matter how much he told them to run. This caught Kettle's attention, and in due time he found himself approaching them. "What be the meanin' of this, eh?" He cupped the face of the woman and stared her in the eye. "Why ain't ye listenin' to him? Didn't he tell ye to run away from me?!" Kettle's blood began to boil. And in another fit of anger, he lost his cool. '' ''"Ye good for nothin' wench! I'll teach ye to disobey a man!" Before her husband and child, Kettle began to kick the woman several times in her face. "There's nothin' that ticks me off more than a woman with a fawkin' attitude like yers! Do ye think yer better than him?! Ehh?!" The boy attempted to protect his mother by lashing his arms around Kettle's leg. Kettle merely flicked him off and continued with his kicking until the woman's face was a red as a cherry. "Piece of shit..." He spat a wallop of saliva on the ground. With her husband caught with his leg under the boulder, he had no choice but to watch and scream in terror. "This is a free world we live in," Kettle continued, "free for us, that is. Men'll keep doin' what they wanna do. Ye women should just learn to stay put and deal with it." He walked up to the small boy, whose eyes were filled with fear. Kettle cupped his face and smiled a crooked smile. "'Ello little fella. How's about I take ye to a new 'ome? Ehh?" He moved his hand from his cheeks to the top of his head. Black energy began to spew from Kettle's palm and the gravity all around the boy began to condense and quickly cave in. "Black Hand!" Before he realized what had happened, the boy was sucked up into Kettle's hand, stored away like a coin meant for a pouch. "That'll do. The market is beaming for the youngin's nowadays anyway. Let's dip, men!" Kettle smiled the same crooked smile he had smiled seven years ago, looking into Colby's eyes right this moment. "Oi remember youuuu. Oi made a good dollar outta ye!" He chugged Brandy down his throat. "How're things, little squirt? Yer the first kid Oi've ever sold that's returning to me like this. Color me amused, bahahaha!" Afraid to do anything all Colby could do was crawl backwards. "No stay away from me!" He shouted. "Hoy, pipe down lil' fella. Oi ain't got no more need for ye, truth be told. But if Oi do remember correctly, Oi was able to buy me a brand new cannon with the money Oi got for sellin' ye." Kettle chugged some more liquor down his throat before tossing it over to Colby. "'Ere! Why don't ye have the rest? Consider us even. Oi got ye a drink and ye got me a cannon." Letting out a proud burp, as if he had just done humanity a favor by offering an underaged boy a drink, Kettle retreated back to the bar counter to dine and feast with his crew. From the seat beside Kettle, amethyst eyes watch curiously as he goes off to the bar to mingle. Sitting there as though he'd been here for some time now given the half-finished drink in hand is a young man with a shock of silver-white hair, lavender eyes (look away, look away, look away) and fine white priestly robes. What may disturb the boy Colby was the fact that he, and Kettle nor any other denizen seemed to have noticed this man's presence. Until now. Staring at the boy, the strange youth starts to speak but no words come out. If Colby is keen enough in his ability to read lips, whatever words that may have poured from the newcomers mouth resembled nothing that he was familiar with. Recognizing his conundrum the youth sighs with a smile. Bringing his hand up he strums his thumb against the strings of his . . . what looks like a cross between some kind of wand, harp and scabbard. What comes next is a melody, a string of high and low beats that seem to uplift the spirit, the kind of song that accompanies a hero overcoming a great struggle, shattering their fear and pushing onward. The tones penetrate deep into the bone, and Colby can feel his blood pumping to the rhythm of the short song. Then it stops, and though the music has ceased, the feeling of triumph remains in Colby's heart. The sounds from this mans music drew in Colbys attention as the meldoy managed to calm him down causing his facial expression revert back to his normal dull expression. He then managed to get himself and looked at the two men infront of him with a dull look in his eyes. "Who are you?" He asked to the man playing the music. Another series of notes are struck in response. A sharp upward staccato that lowers until it is drawn out, long and deep. The sounds that continue to bleed outward paint a vivid image in his mind, almost as if the world before his eyes just melts away. What replaces it is a massive forest, tree's as thick as houses towering above him. And he's running through the overgrowth, leaping high onto branches, the wind whipping across his skin and the feeling of such freedom is so intoxicating he just wants to shout out to the world! And when he does, its not a whoop of joy that he was expecting, but something else... a word, something definitive, persuasive and absolute. Before he even realizes it the words are spilling out of his mouth as he is brought out of the dream. "Orpheus Telos." Colby shouts. Being within the vicinity of the orchestra, Kettle too found himself under its direct influence. And boy was he enjoying himself! It was a feeling he couldn't quite describe through mere words alone; a combination of euphoria intertwined with what he could only assume was Nirvana. He was foaming at the mouth, liquor spewing like a fountain. And through it all, the crazy child within him began to dance. Oh yes, Kettle stood up to his toes and broke it down before the entirety of the tavern! The movements of a deranged lunatic, the dance was almost as hideous as his own face. Still yet, he clapped his hands in rhythm and cheered in gratitude. "Hoy, hoy! Never in me life has I ever heard such a thing!" Kettle's wide eyes fell upon Telos. "A fine musician as Oi've ever heard!" Colby listened to the music and watched the dancing lunatic with unenthusiasm. He then heard some commotion outside that got his attention and looked outside the window and spotted his comrades. He then starts walking towards the door with his ragged blanket as hood to try and keep out the sunlight. "see ya around then." He said and opened the door. He then lifted his blanket up and used it to block out the sun rays much like an umbrella. Back outside the tavern Cazzar continues his notsofriendly conversation with Yanbaal. "So you expect me to believe a man with your reputation would just stroll to this island for a vacation? Cut the crap." He called out. "Kakakakakakaka!" Yan closed his eyes to laugh out "Assuming things once again...don't make me repeat myself" He pointed at the man with his right index finger "You don't have to believe anything, I am here for Business with the Man of the Island~" Yan said in a singing tone, looking at the tavern which had many laughter and screams inside "I could ask for informtation there, mhmhmmhmh" Cazzar stopped talking for a moment assuming that he isn't really here to cause trouble which made him backdown slightly so that he wouldn't have a reason to pick a pointless fight with him. At least until Jones walked inbetween Yanbaal and his view of the bar with his same sinister grin. "Hehe thirsty?" Jones asked sarcastically with his grin growing into a large smile while still keeping its sinister feeling. Catrina grew worried of what might happen next that sweat began leaking down her face. "I always knew this jackass would get himself in trouble." She thought in her head. "Kakakaka, and why would you assume I'm thirsty?" His smile opens widely at the man before him, Yan then frowns "Ah...silver hair and the mark on the forehead..."Serial Killer" Jones, right? We have quite some pirates here~" He almost sings, looking at Catrina as well "Even the "Knight" is here huh...I won't be bothering you with any questions as to why you pirates are even here!" He crosses through Jones, prepared to walk away to the bar. After Yanbaal past him and kept walking, a blob of pink goo slid past him from both sides and combined together to form Jones back in front of him. Jones pointed two fingers with his thumb up towards him like he's making a gun with his hands. "Maybe not but having you here interests me. I've grown bored with burning down the bases of those who hold your leash and its not every day their guard dog shows their face to us. What a pleasure hahahaha" One he started to say final sentence his changed from sinister smile to a sadistic look. Shocked by Jones actions Cazzar grew worried. "Jones what are you... Ah what the hell there's no changing his mind once he makes one." He mumbled accepting whatever happens next. "Fine just don't come crying to us when He kills you for screwing with his plans." Catrina said grabbing her sword on her back. "A Logia huh..." Yan stops abruptly before Jones forms himself again "So the rumors are indeed true...that you're versatile when killing" The Shichibukai smiles and puts both of his hands on the pockets of his jacket "However, I'm not here on the Government's behalf...so I'll give you another chance. I'm repeating myself! I'm just here for business, listen to your crewmates, they seem to give much more thought into the situation~" Yan pointed back at both with a serious gaze, intensifying the atmosphere around them. Orpheus leaned against the tavern wall watching with some measure of interest at what appeared to be a battle in the making. His presence hidden beneath the subtle lullably he hummed which served its purpose in masking him. Jones paused for a minute, most likely thinking about his actions. Just then his face grew more anxious to battle, a sign that clearly shows that theres no reconsidering. He then made another gun shape with his other hand and aimed both towards Yanbaal. "Goop Goop MACHINE GUN! AAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" His finger tips were rappidily shot out towards Yanbaal's direction at bullet like speed shooting at anything that is in front of Jones not just Yanbaal. Catrina quickly drew her sword and used it to deflect the bullets while she ran out of the range of fire, while Cazzar stood there with one hand out block the incoming bullets with his infused hand. Yan sighs as the man shapeshifts. A white and thin substance smooth and quickly covers both his hands, instantly becoming black as Yan proceeded to catch the imposing bullets with each of his finger tips. He instantly threw some of them back, making them collide with upcoming bullets. As soon as he let the bullets he caught go loose, Yan vanished and reappeared behind the Serial Killer, ready to strike his head against the pavement with a fierce right punch. It wasn't until Jones noticed that Yanbaal was behind him until he was punched in the head about to collide with the ground. Just when his head touched the pavement of the concert Jones head splat into pink goop. "Ugh! Damn it all." Jones voice was heard from the goop of what was his head. The goop then began to quickly retract to the body and crawl over Yanbaal's hand practically cover his arm in pink goop. His body then burst apart and tried to ensnare Yanbaal in his body. "Hahahahaha let's see how well you fight trapped inside my body! Hahahaha!" While Jones was about to capture Yanbaal and trap him, Catrina came rushing towards the two with her sword out ready to slash through them. Yan looked as the slime moved to surround his arm. But then, before they had contact, Yan's arm folded itself, first horizontally then vertically, as it retracted from the imprisonment "You know, Logias shouldn't expand themselves too much..." His right leg quickly rose to deliver a barrage of haki kicks to the upcoming expanded goop's structure. All the while, his left arm had extended towards the upcoming attack from the Blonde Knight. Being encased in Busou, it was fully prepared to catch it, and then, toss the woman aside. Benjamin pushed himself from the dirt, his face flowered with debris from his encountered, gasping for air. “I-I almost,” he started, seemingly pulled from his drunken rage by the threat of death. Yet, before him, stood men engaging in a battle. He needed to leave, and he needed to leave now. Picking himself up, he scurried into the tavern to pay the bartender and then to take his leave. Jones took the barrage of kicks thus ceasing his goop from full trapping him entire body. "Ughh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh!" He gritted with every kick until he opened a hole in the spot he was kicking causing his foot to pass through for another kick. Once his foot was through he closed the hole to at least trap his foot in and carry on to encasing his entire body. Catrina attacked the incoming attack with her sword but was unable to do anything as it pushed her towards a building, however she caught herself with her legs and tried to over extended attack but couldn't push it away even with all her might, she then realized that if her brute strength wouldn't help she would rely on her haki. She then infused her legs, arm and sword in Haki causing them all to darken black and was able to push his arm back. As it had extended due to Catrina's struggle, Yan's arm suddenly flopped open in various pieces of...paper? It tried to wrap around both of Catrina's arms. His leg which had been entraped, also flopped open, forcefully extending Jones and extending around to capture the Pirate. Yan's right arm went back to normal, as did his leg and other arm as he got them off from the paper mass enveloping around both pirates. "I won't kill you! But don't pressure me so I turn you over to the Government" He said in a serious tone, fixing his clothes a bit as they both got seemingly enveloped by the paper. "UGh! My arms!" Catrina shouted. She tried to yank it off but couldn't. "What is this? Is this paper?" She questioned. Before the paper could entrap him, Jones solid body rose out from his goop that was once his body and leaped to safety. "HAAAAhahahahaha now this is entertainment!" He said in a sadistic smile. At the sound of all the ruckus outside, Kettle exited the bar, only to witness the men who had troubled him before engaging a Shichibukai, of all things, in battle. "Hoy, is ye an idiot?" Part of him felt the need to join in on all of the fun, but at the same time, he didn't exactly want to risk being toppled over. After a brief second to think things over, Kettle smiled wide. "Oll-right, move on over ye fuckers, 'cause there be a new sheriff in this town!" "What's all this ruckus, Nassau normally doesnt have this many visitor's at one time." ''The pink haired boy thought to himself before making his way to the commotion. He quickly navigated through the town quickly identifying the source of his headache, a Shichibukai and what appeared to be a bubblegum man where engaged him some sort of scuffle outside of his favorite tavern on the island. A small clearing of his throat would be un-audible giving all the commotion going on in the square at the moment, before. "OI, YOU CHEEKY BASTARDS, WHAT'S ALL THIS THEN!" Indra screamed at the top of his lungs trying to do his best impression of his Captain. Kettle's attention was averted away from all the chaos and toward the hollering Indra. His eyes and lips widened, and, taking aim with his palm in Indra's general direction, Kettle released a wave of gravitational energy that shot out and seized the boy's movements. What he saw in Indra was a helpless little boy whom he could sell on the market; he had no idea as to what sort of affiliation the boy possessed nor who he exactly was, but if there was anything Kettle was good for, it was selling people no different than Indra himself. "Come to Daddy! Bahahaha!" Without warning, Indra was pulled from where he had been standing and he found his body soaring toward Kettle's palm against his own command. No matter how much the boy struggled in that momentary lapse of shock, he was unable to pry himself free of Kettle's extended grasp; and where he ultimately ended up was beneath Kettle's palm, with Kettle's fingers wrapped around his skull. Slamming Indra's face against the pavement, Kettle laughed aloud. "'Ere's to another cannon! Bahahaha!" Black matter poured from Kettle's hand, connecting directly with Indra's face, and before the young lad could have even processed what had gone on, he was sucked in and sealed away into the premises of Kettle's palm. Gone. Without leaving so much as a single trace, Indra was wiped off the face of the island as if he had never existed in the first place. All there was to lament his banishment was the crater that had been formed beside Kettle as a result of him being smashed against the ground. ''"This is-" Yan turns to look at the voice, disappointed to see just a young boy, he then looks at Captain Kettle, letting the mass of paper he summoned chase Jones around "Kakaka! I thought it was me who was accused of capturing pirates, hmmmm?" He smiles as Kettle absorbs the red-head somehow "Much more than simple gravity huh..." "Fufufufu," chimed a most feminine voice suddenly, "that is a most interesting ability you have there, Captain Kettle." A voice that pierced the heavens, so it seemed, it brought all the ruckus about Tashoya to an immediate end. Pirates of all kinds looked around in utter confusion, trying their very best to determine where the voice was coming from, and after a moment of searching, they found its owner standing above the roof of the bar. Many of their eyes turned to hearts at the sight of a gloriously shaped woman, whose curvaceous anatomy fell under the spotlight of the moon. Bearing long blonde hair that fell down her backside, she leapt from the roof of the bar down to the pavement below, standing between all the chaos and addressing each of its participants. "Forgive me, I didn't mean to intrude on all your fun," she continued, blue eyes scanning the horizon, "but with an ability such as yours, I think you're just the man I've been looking for." Eyes and lips as wide as ever, Kettle looked the woman over several times. "Ya certainly put the shiver in me timber!" he muttered aloud, unable to concentrate on anything but the woman's body. The woman exchanged an awkward glance. "Er no; I'm not looking for anyone for that reason... "What I meant was, I have a job for you. For all of you, for that matter." Kettle's brow furrowed. "Eh?" So all of a sudden there was this random woman trying to speak down on him. Under ordinary circumstances, he would have most certainly lost his temper. But there was a different feeling to all of this... "What kinda job is ye talkin' about, Miss?" Seeing as though she had everyone's attention, the woman proceeded with her explanation. "You see, I can't expect any of you to be aware of all of this, but in a number of days from now, there is to be a wedding ceremony among Elbaf's royalty. "It is a fairly large scale wedding, as to be expected of the giants. And well, how should I put this into perspective? Being one of the more fancier weddings in the history of the Grand Line, it would go without question that everything pertaining to it be of equivalent standing. "To be more precise, what I mean to say is, several nations are going all out as we speak to ensure the giants are satisfied with the ceremony. The dresses have been tailored months in advance and made of the finest quality, the decorations have been designed by the world's greatest of architects, the food has been prepared by some of the world's greatest chefs... "There is only but one issue befalling all of these wedding preparations. The giants are without a proper drink; being as they are of such profound lineage, they are among the world's mightiest of drinkers, as to be expected! "Not just any old liquor will do for them. The giants desire rum of the finest caliber: Nerb Rum." "Nerb Rum?!" Kettle spat. "Are ye fuckin' serious? Does ye know how much a single bottle of that stuff is worth? Ye can't even find a decent price on 'em 'ere in Nassau! And we's talkin' bout giants 'ere! The size of their portions are fuckin' enormous! There ain't no way any lad could ever find enough rum to supply them-" "What if I were to tell you that I have?" the woman rebutted. A long silence ensued. By the look on his face, Kettle was far from convinced. "Nerb Rum? Ye got enough Nerb Rum ta feed giants?" "Yessir." "Ye got enough Nerb Rum to get 'em piss drunk?" "Yes, sir." "Ye mean ta tell me ye got enough Nerb Rum on ye ta allow the giants ta bathe and shower in liquor for the kind of after party that would follow a wedding like that?" "Yes, I do!" "Fuck off!" Kettle turned his shoulder to the woman, no longer interested in what her curvaceous body had to offer. "Oi may be a pirate, but Oi ain't an idiot!" "Please, Captain Kettle, hold on for just a second!" she called out, "if you're not convinced, then I am more than prepared to show you to my stash." Kettle turned back around. His eyes and lips widened in excitement. "Carry on." "Huuuuh?" Yan takes a few steps and stops when he is side-to-side with Captain Kettle, resting his elbow against the man's arm "And how could this interest us? Kakaka, I've only come here to negotiate with the "Public Enemy", are you an acquintance of his?!" He frowns, tilting his head to the right slightly. "You ask a most plausible question, Yanbaal-san," the woman continued, "I am most indeed an acquaintance of the Public Enemy. As a matter of fact, it is he and he alone who has made arrangements for our success. Allow me elaborate. "You see, utilizing a ship built specifically by he who is by every facet of the sense the World's Greatest Shipwright, I plan to smuggle several tons worth of Nerb Rum into Elbaf. Captain Kettle's ability to store things within his body makes it that much easier. "However, this isn't exactly a task any one person could accomplish on his own. Do realize that the sheer amount of rum I plan to smuggle into Elbaf requires proper distribution around the whole island once we reach there. That is where the rest of you come in." The blonde haired woman looked around at each of those that had gathered around to hear her speak. "There is much profit to be gained from all of this. I have arranged for several negotiations to be had; the giants all over Elbaf are willing to pay a hefty coin for a single bottle of this rum. "Operation: Elbaf, as I have come to refer to it as... yes, if everything is to transpire as I have imagined, there is plenty of fortune for us all to benefit from! If everything goes according to plan, I swear to you, none of you would ever have to worry about money ever again. You'll be richer than even the richest." "Oll-right, oll-right," Kettle spat, "that's enough of yer yappin'. Are ye goin' ta show us yer stash or not?" "Why yes, of course. It's already been boarded onto a ship. All that's left to be done is transporting it there to Elbaf. If you'd all be so kind as to follow me this way." The woman began to lead the way through town. "Kakakaka, intriguing!...However, I don't want any of this money you're offering...having direct business with the man himself would be proper for a reward!" Yan spats with a smile, being the first to not follow the woman instantly "Also, if the Giants are paying you...why would you ask for other people to do such a job when you could keep the money?" He taps at his forehead, lightly, as if to indicate a mental line of thought. Suddenly a pink blob rose from the ground behind the blonde girl. "Now hold on just a sec." A voice was heard from behind her. The women then felt two fingers pressed against her back. Jones held his hand against her back in the shape of a gun and looked at her with a sinister smile. "Why would i sink so low as to take orders from a rookie brat like Veno? You got some nerve trying to negotiate me to doing his dirty work." He said drilling his two fingers into her back. "You'r lucky I dont just kill you right here and now." The woman sighed. "Leave it to a bunch of well known pirates such as yourselves to ask a bunch of questions..." She put her hands to her hips. "To address your point first, Yan-san, under any ordinary circumstance, you're right. It'd be in my best interest to hog all that money for myself. But as previously mentioned, this isn't exactly a job I can do on my own, most certainly not in giant territory. The sheer scale of land I need to cover in the amount of time I've been given, it's just not possible for a single person. The more people we can get to make deliveries, the better. It'll also increase our chances at making a profit in the case that one of us ends up getting caught." She showed little to no remorse over the gun that was pressed against her. "I'm merely presenting you with a door to some easy money, Mr. Jones. Whether or not you take me up on the offer is a decision for you to make alone. There is absolutely no need for such hostility when all I've done is say a few words." Her words invoked a chuckle from Kettle. "Hoy, hoy, Miss Moneybags, has ye a name to go by?" She nodded. "My apologies for not introducing myself earlier; I normally don't waste my time getting to know those that I won't be working with. Under the assumption that you're all interested..." She looked around at them all. "You may address me as 'Ashley' from here on." "Well oll-right Miss Ashley, is ye goin' to show us to yer stash or not?" "Why yes, of course. Just as soon as Mr. Jones is done being tough." Kettle's eyes widened. "What do ye think yer doin, ye fuckhead? Git yer stinkin' hands off of this woman at once!" Engineered by the powers of his Devil Fruit, Kettle's hands surged with energy. When discussing potential business, Kettle wasn't the type of man to play games. "Now, now, Captain Kettle, that type of hostility won't be necessary. The two of you will be working together from now on, so I'd like for you to get along as best as possible. Anyway, if you lot would be so kind as to follow me..." Considering her request as well as her offer Jones took put his hand down and stepped out of the way for her to walk past. Ashley led the group of pirates to the docks of Tashoya, where a large pirate ship awaited them. "Make yourselves familiar with him," Ashley said, leaping aboard, "this is one of Veno-san's greatest works, one of ten ships he's built that falls under his 'Ten Commandments' series. What you're all looking at right now is 'Hades'." To say the ship was huge would have been an understatement; it was a ship fit for giants, dwarfing all others that were docked nearby. "All the Nerb Rum has been packaged down into the ten lowest compartments of the ship. I'll show you to it once I've explained things better here on the surface." She guided the pirates onto the ship's front deck, turning only at the sound at the complaint. "Nay, Oi'd like ta see yer stash now as opposed ta later. Yer not sailin' us off ta do yer dirty work 'till I know yer legitimate!" Kettle barked. "Fair enough. For all of those lacking trust in my operations, please follow me this way." Not unsurprisingly, all of them followed. Leading them into the lower compartments of the ship, the doors of which had been kept oddly open the entire way, Ashley showed them to innumerable crates that were responsible for holding the countless bottles of Nerb Rum. Opening one, she held out a bottle of the Nerb Rum. "Go ahead and look through the other crates if you wish. Just be sure you don't open any of the bottles; a single bottle is worth a fortune on its own." Kettle began to rummage through the crates. His eyes lit up. He simply couldn't believe what he was witnessing. "How in the fuck did ye get yer hands on so many of 'em?!" Ashley offered a silent response. "I have my ways." "How exactly?" More silence ensued. "Let's just say when you're well acquainted with the manufacturer, a supply of this much isn't exactly hard to come by. But even still, be careful with how you handle each individual bottle." Kettle was still at a loss for words. What was stopping them from killing her now and steering the ship in the opposite direction? No, it was too soon for that. Nowhere across the seas would he have been able to find better customers than the giants than to get rid of all of this rum; yes, he, along with the rest of these pirates would have to carefully await the best opportunity at which to turn the tables. There was bound to be betrayal, just like any other pirate affair. The only question was a matter of when. As if speaking for the rest of the pirates, Kettle nodded, smiling eagerly. "Oll-right, Miss Ashley, Oi'm on board with yer idea." She smiled. "Splendid. Then let us set sail without further interruption." Without warning, Ashley stormed into the ship's control room, which required her to navigate her way through the massive ship's various other rooms, and after several minutes of waiting, the ship began to move, emanating a powerful screech upon its upstart. With a crew of some of Nassau's best, Hades took off in the direction of Elbaf. Yan only remained silent for the whole ordeal, taking the woman's words as a signal of acceptance. He followed all of them into the ship, hoping he could meet Veno. "Veno-sama! Veno-sama!" a lowly pirate exclaimed the next morning, storming into the Veno Works Factory, "Hades is gone and Indra-kun is also missing!" The monstrosity that was the Public Enemy was seated on a stool with a large bulk of machinery lain out before him, his robotic hands tending to their repairs. A look of anger quickly laced his mustard eyes. "Hades is gone?" He had left Indra to ensure Hades' safekeeping. Now both of them were... missing?! "That's exactly what I get for leavin' a fuckin' human in charge of things!" he exclaimed, aiming his palm toward the messenger, "to hell with all of ye!!" Smoke fumed from his mouth as he blasted a hole through the pirate's chest, allowing his charred remains to disintegrate upon his factory's floor. Moving his fingers to his left forearm, he dialed a series of buttons. "Fuckin' 'ell, I can't get a signal on the boy. But trackin' where Hades is goin' shouldn't be a problem." He stood from his seat. "Corona, get me a readin' on Hades' course and do yer best to get a connection through to Indruh as well. Oi ain't got all day to be sittin' back n' worryin' 'bout this mess." A feminine voice played through the walls. "Of course, Veno-sama." --- "Okay." He whispered. "I'll send word upon our arrival. Bye." A Den Den Mushi's click echoed through the darkened sea. Silence engulffed the world as if all the animals and humans of the realm had fallen asleep at once. Even he, who stood by himself at the helm of the Royal Sabre, felt the groggy spell cast by the massive full moon in the sky seize his mind. His ebony eyes felt heavier than normal. His hands dragged across a huge indentation in his chest. A scar which told a tale of a foolish warrior attempting to climb above the limitations of humanity. A man who grasped for perfection. Salazar witnessed the epitome of war and left with a bright flame roaring in his chest. "What'd that bitch want now?" She barked with a gun's cock."I don't appreciate my man leaving my bed for some hoe this late at night." Salazar felt the cold barrel of a pistol pressed against the back of his cranium. Sweat poured from his blackened skin, he felt his heart beat increase. It became harder to breath. Most men would smile and embrace their better half but the young sword master knew better than to play with his life when it came to her. No matter how much they loved each other, Salazar knew she wouldn't hesitate to blow his brains out...and then revive him. But ain't that what love is? "S-s-she wants us to d-do something for her." Salazar stuttered. "And I owe her that much for saving me." He turned around when the cold metal left his warm skin. Salazar faced his company, a curvacious silhouette with a gental warmth radiating from the deepness of nothing. He felt almost compelled to grab her, bringing the beauty of her dark skin against his own. Salazar felt content. As if the world had finally answered his prayers. "Wife, what are you doing out of bed?" "Well, Husband, when I hear a Den Den Mushi go off and wake up to my husband outside whispering, what'd am 'posed ta do?" She brought her silver barrel to his crotch and laughed as he whimpered. Jacky placed her gun away and ran her fingers against Salazar's scar. "T-trust me," Salazar managed to say inbetween nervous breaths. "I'm not taking any chances." He smirked and held her closer, his eyes closing as they melted into one another. Voices becoming careless whispers among the sleeping breeze of the calm belt. The Royal Sabre was built from a stolen marine ship, allowing them to easily cross the two strips without disturbance. "Are you going to tell me what she wants?" Jacky asked, kissing her husband gently on the lips. "What every other Yonko, Empress, and self-proclaimed Sea Goddess desires. She set her sights on Elbaf and wants to conquer it under her name." Salazar sighed. "But she needs reconnaissance done and we're the only division strong enough to handle the mighty warriors of Elbaf." "Are you sure about that?" She laughed. "I've heard stories of Elbaf giants and they're worst than Giants who leave the island." Jacky leaned against a rail and scoured the black sea with emerald eyes and a loving smile. Salazar joined her against the rail and smriked. The idea of fighting giants and establishing a name on an island as mighty as Elbaf...it lit a flame in his stomach. However his excitement was overwhelmed by a different sensation. A biggger question emerged. "How can we even get close enough to Elbaf?" Silence fell between the two as they attempted to come up with a solution. "She told me some big shot is getting married there. The entire world is invited - hell it's the only time marines and pirates aren't allowed to fight. That'd be the perfect cover except we don't have a reason to be there." Salazar complained. "As a Shichibukai we could have snuck in buuuuuut..." He trailed off. "Hm...I supposed only a royal wedding could impose a temporary truth between two of the three major powers." Jacky stated, ignoring her husbands immature ramblings. "Everyone there is going to try to win favors...including other islands." "What?" Salazar asked confusingly. "Stupid! A wedding is a ceremony of both favors and historical compromises...Sooo what if one of the royalty of a different island attended in hopes of finding a bride or husband or whatever the fuck he likes." Jacky lit her cigarette and exhaled a cloud of smoke. "What?" "On this ship we have a former Shichibukai, an assassin, a halfling Giant annnd an Princess" Jacky continued her smoke. But Salazar was utterly shocked by her brilliance...it made so much sense. "Seeing as this is a big event, I doubt anyone is going to start shit. Especially with the princess of the Kam'baka' island." She joked. "You're a genius!" Salazar screamed, picking up his ebony princess and swinging her in a wide circle. "Tomorrow we set sail for Elbaf. I'll ask him to write a letter announcing his attendance alongside a few guest." Jacky laughed, kissing Salazar's forehead before heading back inside. "Whatever. But let another bitch call you this late and i'll make sure you won't have to worry about these problems anymore." Salazar fell, overwhelmed by the immense pressure of her furious glare. Heart of Stone After a long night, the darkness finally surrendered to the light as the sun emerged illuminating the country with bright rays of heat. The streets reeked of ale and puke with drunks still wandering around unable to make it home. The cleaning crew was finally dispatched, beginning what would be a long day of work ahead of them. It was the aftermath of a festival that occurs once in every century, maybe longer. The Unholy Festival, a week of non-stop drinking and partying in honor of the King's last few days of bachelorhood. Gorgeous women of different races and tribes from across the globe we're invited in order entice the King, some with other intentions as well. Unfortunately, after seven long days and nights, the party came to an end... On the Kingdom's more renowned manors was a palace not to far from the city. Inside lied hundred of women, most asleep, after a long week of festivities. Two men silently exited from the complex, attempting to get some privacy. "I was sure that blonde mermaid was going to kill you after you rejected her a chance at marriage..." Tamotsu stated, putting a massive cigar in his shortly after then lighting it. "Then again, she wouldn't be the first to want your head." Gazing outwards in a moment of deep thought, the King himself inhaled deeply. "If it was my head she wanted, then she definitely succeeded." he responded, letting out a loud distinct laughter waking up some of the women inside. Suddenly, several servants appeared from the palace offering the two men various items. Wanting privacy he sent the servants away, not before instructing to make preparations to evacuate the women. "It's a shame it's over. I could have done for one more night." the fat giant exclaimed before noticing a tall figure rushing towards the manor. "Is that..." A grin emerged on Barbarossa's face as he walked ahead in order to greet the massive figure. After a few second who it was became clear as she began to chant his name, "Barba-san, Barba-san!!" The area began to tremble a little bit as she was running toward them at full speed. With her massive weapon at hand, Barbarossa knew that this was not going to be a friendly exchange. Her friendly chants would slowly transform to angry battle cries as she raised her battle hammer in order to smash the King. "How dare ya...you BASTARD." she screamed coming down with all her strength. His face remained calm as he simply raised his hand to stop the attack. As the two made contact, a massive shockwave was released, breaking all the glass and damaging the estate. If the women weren't awake before, they were now. Unphased by the attack, he gently removed the weapon from the now weeping girls palms. "I told you Ver, I'm getting married and trying to kill me is not going to change my mind" Barbarossa explained. After about thirty seconds of crying Veronica finally regained her composure. Her face suddenly turned more red than a tomato. "Why aren't you wearing any clothes!" she screamed before turning around and sprinting back to town. "I guess it's time for us to head back too." Tamotsu said, also only wearing his boxers. After gazing at the sun once more, Barbarossa responded: "Indeed". Several hours later the two men, fully dressed, would return to the Elbaf Kingdom where nearly a hundred servants would bombard them with questions regarding the marriage. "Where do you want this" "How do you want that" "Is he/she invited", were some of the few questions the two were able to make out. Already annoyed, Barbarossa yelled in a serious tone. "Silence!!" His voice echoed throughout the estate alarming all the other servant he had arrived as well. "Probably not your smartest move." Tamotsu stated, before attempting to walk away from all the commotion. As dozen of other servants began to appear, Barbarossa turned to his friend and demanded that he stayed at his side. Immediately after he turned back to the crowd, "Leave me the list of those formally invited, and those who we expect to show without an invitation at my workstation. Everything else can go to Carson, since she's basically set this whole thing up." Fortunately the pool of servants began to disperse, and the two giants made their way to his work station. As Barbarossa and his humblest companions drew ever closer upon their workplace, they were met by the bellow of what sounded like a barbarian. "Hoy, what do ya mean he ain't here yet?! It's been two whole days since we arrived and yar tellin' me that bastard still hasn't returned home?" To Barbarossa, this voice was most nostalgic; the last time he had heard it was many years ago. But there was a time in which he heard this very voice on a daily basis. He fought against it countless times, shared with it his motives and dreams of the future. And, if it meant anything, it had just as much a fire to it as he could have ever remembered. When Barbarossa's enormous frame stepped through the doorway, what he would see first before him was his brute of a cousin, Kaldor, arguing with another giant across the desk. Kaldor, who had traded his marine attire in place of clothing more suited for a man on a vacation, immediately turned to acknowledge the red haired man as he stepped into the room. The man behind the counter could do nothing more than cover his ears in preparation for what came next. "Barbarossa-san?!" he shrieked once in question, then again in confirmation, "Barbarossa-san!" Tears clouded his eyes and crashed down onto the floor like raindrops from a cloud. With open arms, he stormed toward his cousin, intending to capture him in a warm embrace. "It's been so long, ya damn mug! How dare ya notify me of your wedding by card and show up to greet me at the very last second!!" The two titans wandered the halls giggling as they discussed the previous nights. Expecting loads of paper work to be throw at him by his secretary after his week of absence, he was not anxious to return. But upon hearing a voice, one that held so much emotion and history, he almost ran to his office to see if it were true. Entering the room with a determined look, it did not take long for him to see his cousin. As Kaldor chanted his name with a little too much emotion, a massive smile appeared on Barbarossa's face. "Kaldor! It's been too long!" he exclaimed before embracing his close cousin with a warm hug. In the background, Tamotsu finally made his way to the room. His thick-boned body and slowly deteriorating lungs due to all the green he's been burning, made keeping up with Barbarossa somewhat of a struggle. Despite being a little late to the party, Tamotsu was aware of the situation, the two made the entire kingdom aware of it. "Kaldor, it's goo-" Completely disregarding any statement Tamotsu made, Barbarossa completely interrupted his friend. "Wait...how long have you been here. Did you get a chance to see the Unholy Festival?!?!" Category:Role-Plays